Pipe wrench



Fei. 12, 1924.

F. E. VOORHIES ET AL PI PE WRENCH 2 sheets-sheet x Filed March 25. 1922i gwwntou v77152/00292 es GfK/272295 abteilung Feb. 12, 1924;

IF. E. VOORHIES ET AL PIPE WRENCH Filed March 25 A. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet2 s nu. L 1...-

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Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

. Unirse STATES xrnfgrfzlail oFFlcE.

p FELIX E. vooRHIEs AND osCAR v. JONES, 'ornAiJiAsy TEXAS.

PIPE WRENCH. l

- Application led March 25, 1922. Serial No. 546,564.

'To all whom t may conf/muti Be it known that we, FELIX E. VooRHiEs andOSCAR V. J oNns, citizens of the United States, residing at Dallas, inthe county of Dallas and State of TeXas, have invented Certain. new anduseful Improvements in Pipe Wrenches, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in pipe wrenches.

The object of the invention is to provide a pipe wrench that will behighly effective in gripping a pipe either for the purpose of rotatingthe same,or holding the same against rotation. A particular object is-toprovide a flexible jaw including gripping elements which maybe removedand replaced, and which will readily conform to the contour of theobject to be gripped.

Another object of the invention is to provide a releasing device wherebythe wrench may be readily disengaged from the object;

together with a novel Aform of carriage for -2-2 of Fig. 1,

F ig. 3 is a cross sectional vi-ew on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. .lgis a sectional view of the bail,

Fig.' 5 is a side elevation of the wrench in carriage as shownin Fig.1,and

Fig. 6 is a cross" sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates a head in which a handle 11kis inserted and fastened by a bolt 11. At each side ofthe block isformed an annular boss 12, having a concaved annular lrecesstherearound, which forms a guidev for a cable or other flexibleconnection 13. The cable 13, is formed into a loop having its endspassed around the bosses. Anarm 14 having a disk at itslower end isdisposed against each boss. Latches 15 are pivoted in the head andA havehooks 15 v at their upper ends.

Plungers 16 fastened to the latches pass thru slots in the arms.`Coiledsprings 16 Aare conned. onthe plungers for pressing the latchesinwardly. An eye bolt 17 is passed centrally thru the disks of the arms,the

bosses, vand the head, and receives a nut ,18 f

whichY is 'likewise provided with' an eye. This provides an eye on theupper side` as well as on the lower side of the head-, either of whicheyes may be'engagedwith the rigging of thev derrick to `hold thewrenchwin a suspended position as is commonin this art.` l A, 1

The outer end of the head 10 is bifurcated and provided with a pivot`pin 19 so that the hook 20 of a hook lever 21 may be rpivotedr in thebifurcatedv head. The lever21 lis arranged to swing down betweenthelatches 15 and engage under the hooks 15 thereof, wherebysaid leverv isheld in position.y A looped portion of the ycable 13 is fastened to aU-shaped bail 22 which is provided' with a handle 23. The workman maygrasp the' handle' 23 and engagethebail in the hook 20. On the cablebetween the bosses and the bail we providea HeXible jaw composed of:

face blocks 24 and tooth blocks 25. .These blocks have their sides cutradially so as to assemble in a segment, the twostrands .of the cablepassing through the upper rand lower portions of said blocks as is.yclearly shown in the drawings. r The blocksy are spaced from the bail bya vsleeve 26 and the jaw isof'such length asto surround a-.sufhcientportion ofthe circumference of the tubular, article, to properly griptheys 'ame.'

The jaw is provided with a tooth member 27, inserted in, one sidethereof in a suitable manner so as to engage the article gripped by thejaw. The tooth member' is preferably of different material thanthe'h'ead and may be removed tol sharpen the `teeth or .replaced whennecessary. Thefspace blocks are not as long radially' as the toothblocks so as to permit the tooth spaces/of the latter to projectinwardly and engage the article:

A, which maybe a pipe oroth'er tubular member. It is obvious that theblocks 24 and 25 may be slipped off the cable and ifeplaced with others,whereby various adjust-ments and changesinay be made., in the,

jaw. -1 1 a The ends of the cableare carried yalcove and under thehandlew11 and passed' thru ears 28 in a crosshead29. v'l`he,.crossAheadis mounted to slide verticallybn upright.,

posts 31 passing thru each end thereof, and is fastened on said posts byset screws 32, when desired. Usually the set screws 32 are not fastenedso that the cross head is free to slide on the posts. .The cross head issustained by coil springs 33 surrounding the posts thereunder andsuported by collars 34 fastened by set screws 35. Anything lfalling uponthe cross head would depress the same and likewise if the wrench wasstruck the' head `would alsovbe depressed, whereby the partswould besaved -from int jury.

21. which `engages between theL hooks 15. A

A take-up plate 36 is mounted to slide on the handle 11, in rear of thecross head 29,

and is provided at each end with adjusting screws 38 bearing against therear side of said cross head, whereby the plate may be adjusted towardand from the same. The plater is provided with apertures receiving theends 'of the cable 13, and hasset screws 37 enteringsaid apertures forfastening the ends of the cable therein. This device is arranged lortaking up the slack in the cable 13 when the lever 21 is fastened so asto cause the jaw to properly grip the pipe. As an additional support aresilient standard 39 has its upper end bent outwardly and engagingunder the head 10. The rear end of the standard is seated in the base 40ofthe carriage and is held by a bolt 41. A 'stud 42 projects from thelower end of the standard so as to engage in a socket 43 in a rotarytable. The ystandard 39 may have a plurality of openings for the pin 41if necessary. The handle 11 has a plurality of spaced holes 44 adaptedto receive a pin 45 carried by the cross head whereby said handlemay beadjusted "longitudinally and held in position. i

When the lever 21 is swung outward, the hook 20fis moved toward thearticle A, so that the bail 22 may be engaged on the same. Then by.swinging the lever 21 in between the latches 15, the j aw is drawnaround the article whereby the teeth of the blocks 25 engage the sameand the member 27 is also drawn into engagement with the opposite sideof said article. The wrench and carriage being mounted on a rotarytable, it will be seen that when said table is rotated in a clockwisedirection, the various teeth will bite into the article A and cause thesame to rotate. lVhen it is desired to release the wrench, it is merelynecessary to spring the latches 15 apart. This is accomplished by arelease lever 46 lwhich is pivoted on the upper end of a bolt 47 passingthru the lever The lever 46 carries a spreader 48,

keeper'49 is provided for guiding the lever 46. When the lever 46 ispressed toward the lever `21, the spreader 48 will spread the latches15, whereby their hooks 15 will be withdrawnlrom the lever 21,permitting the latter tobe'sw'ung outwardly, whereby the hook 2O willswing toward the article A and the gripping action will be relieved. Thebail may be disengaged from the hook 20 and the wrench thus removed.

Various changes in the size and construction of the parts as well asmodilications, may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

What we claim, is:

1. In a pipe wrench, a head, a hook lever mounted on the head, aflexible jaw, for gripping an article, said jaw having a bail at one endengaging the hook lever, and a handle supporting the head.

2. In a pipe wrench, a head, a hook lever mounted on the head, a Hexiblejaw for gripping an article, said jaw having a bail at one end engagingthe hook lever, a handle supporting the head, and means for taking i upthe slack in the tlexible jaw.

3. In a pipe Wrench, a head, a hook lever mounted on the head, aflexible jaw for gripping an article, said jaw having a bail at one endengaging the hook lever, a handle supporting the head, and means Jfordetachably securing the lever for holding the jaw in engagement with thearticle.

4. In a pipe wrench, a head, a hook lever mounted on the head, aflexible jaw for gripping an article, said jaw having a bail at one endengaging the hook lever, a handle supporting the head, means fordetachably securing the lever for holding the jaw in engagement with thearticle, and means for taking up the slack in the iexible jaw.

5. In a pipe wrench, a head, a handle supporting the head, a carriage inwhich the handle is mounted7 a flexible loop, a flexible jaw carried bythe loop, a hook lever mounted on the head and engaged by the loop, afastening device for the lever, and a take up device for the cablemounted on the carriage.

6. In a pipe wrench, a head, a handle supporting the head, a. carriagein which the handle is mounted, a flexible loop, a ilexible jaw carriedby the loop, a hook lever mounted on the head and engaged by the loop, afastening device Jfor the lever, a take up device for the cable mountedon the carriage, and means for releasing the fastening device to freethe lever.

7 In a pipe wrench, a head, a handle, a spring sustained cross head inwhich the handle is mounted, a looped cable supported by the head andhaving its ends attached to the carriage, a lexible aw carried by theloop, a hook lever mounted in the head and engaging the loop, and meansfor fastening the lever in position.

8. In a pipe wrench, a head, a handle supporting the head, a hook levermounted inthe head, a cable loop supported on the head` a plurality ofblocks mounted in the loop and constituting a jaw, a bail at the jaw andhaving a hook for engagement with said member, a latch on the head forhold- 10 ing the lever, and means for releasing the latch to free thelever.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

FELIX E. VOORHIES. OSCAR V. JONES.

